PLEASANT GROVE, UT – July 1, 2006 – Independent Consultants for Close To My Heart, a leading direct-sales scrapbook company, arrived in Salt Lake City from across the U.S. and Canada to participate in the company’s annual convention from June 26–29. The theme for this year’s convention was “Art & Soul.” The convention is the biggest event of the year for the 22-year-old company, and featured business seminars, instructional workshops, and the highly anticipated announcement of the year’s new products.

“Close To My Heart was thrilled to welcome our Consultants to our beautiful home state of Utah,” said Jeanette Lynton, founder and CEO of Close To My Heart. “Being able to make a difference in the lives of these women is where my joy comes from. Our annual convention helps our Consultants learn how to further their business and inspire customers with ways to celebrate relationships through the art of scrapbooking and stamping.”

Convention attendees received valuable business tips and motivation from keynote speaker Nicki Keohohou, CEO of the Direct Selling Women’s Alliance. Attendees participated in specialized classes known as the Art of Business, which focused on ways for independent Consultants to use their creativity to boost sales and strengthen their business. This year will also featured the return of the popular Extravaganza, a two-day workshop with dozens of booths teaching Consultants how to use, demonstrate, and sell Close To My Heart’s new products.

Close To My Heart released the Autumn/Winter Idea Book at the June 27 morning general session, which showcased 12 innovative new product lines available exclusively through Consultants. The company also revealed ten new scrapbooking kits, two new card kits, and over 40 new My Acrylix® stamp sets in over 400 new designs. Close To My Heart believes scrapbooking should be faster, simpler, and easier and has developed an innovative line of products that customers find not only stylish, but also easy to use.

Over the past eight years Lynton has released a well-known educational series of scrapbooking and cardmaking programs sold through Close To My Heart. It was recently announced that Cherish™, another book by Lynton, will be released to the general public through Gibbs-Smith Publishing and sold through major booksellers. Since the book’s release in December 2005 it has enjoyed incredible success in the direct-sales market with four print runs.

Close To My Heart also held a special general session focused on the company’s partnership with Operations Kids®, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of children. Close To My Heart Consultants raised over $150,000 this past year for Operation Kids through a portion of each My Acrylix stamp sale, individual contributions, and a variety of community events to help reach the goal.

ABOUT CLOSE TO MY HEART
Close To My Heart is an industry leader in innovative scrapbooking and stamping products, including the My Acrylix® line of clear stamps, My Reflections™ Scrapbooking Kits, and several top-selling how-to programs, including the newest scrapbook layout volume, Cherish™, available now. Headquartered in Pleasant Grove, Utah, the company distributes its products at Home Gatherings through thousands of Independent Consultants across the U.S. and Canada. For more information about the Idea Book, ordering exclusive Close To My Heart products or becoming a Consultant, go to www.closetomyheart.com.

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* Photos available upon request.